The plays accounted for 349 yards. As Ohio State fell to Michigan in last month’s 45-23 loss, a setback that kept the Buckeyes from winning the Big Ten and nearly cost them a spot in the College Football Playoff, a series of big plays proved their undoing. Five of the Wolverines’ six touchdowns followed plays spanning 69, 75, 45, 75 and 85 yards. “It came down to three things, really,” safety Ronnie Hickman said. “It’s fundamentals, details and execution. We didn’t do those things on those plays specifically, and you can see what that resulted in.” The scripts for the Wolverines’ explosiveness varied. The first of Cornelius Johnson’s touchdown catches came after cornerback Cameron Brown’s missed tackle set him loose down the sideline. The second stemmed from Johnson turning Cameron Martinez around in coverage in the slot. When tight end Colston Loveland ran a wheel route early in the third…
Continue Reading: What Ohio State football defense learned from giving up explosive plays to Michigan
